Easy File Transfers

Use the Send To menu to move files around your network quickly and efficiently.

I created a home network using Microsoft Windows XP, and I like the convenience of moving files directly to, for example, my wife's directory on her computer. But it is a bit of a pain to navigate through Windows Explorer to find the path to the appropriate directory all the timejust to drag and drop a file. Is there an easier way?

Henry Canton

Most users don't even think about the Send To menu unless they're copying files to floppy disks, a procedure that is increasingly rare these days, because most files are too large to fit on one floppy disk. But adding entries to the Send To menu is a simple way to transfer files to fixed locations on another computer on your network. Here's how.

Open Windows Explorer. On computers running Windows 2000 or XP, navigate to Documents and Settings, open the folder with your user name and then open the Send To folder within it. If you're using Windows 98 or Me, the Send To folder will be in the Windows folder.

Now right-click within the Send To folder window and select New | Shortcut (see image). The Create Shortcut wizard will open, and you can browse through the network structure to find the folder on your other machine where you want files to go. (On Windows 98, you may have to type in the network path, such as \\Other Computer\My Documents\Incoming, rather than browsing.)

Once you've added the shortcut, it will appear in the Send To menu. To transfer files, just locate the file you want to copy, right-click on it, and select Send To from the pop-up menu. Clicking on your new shortcut will automatically send your file to the other computer.